A Tomsk businessman appealed to the Russian president with an open letter in which he asked for help in the fight against corruption in the ranks of law enforcement. According to the Man and Law program, the Tomsk security forces often forced the local businesses to pay them a bribe, not only in money, but also in luxurious cars.

Earlier this year in Tomsk, the two high-ranking law enforcement officers have been detained on charges of taking bribes for protection: the Head of the Economic Safety Directorate of the Tomsk Region Ministry of Internal Affairs (the MIA) Konstantin Savchenko and the former Head of the Tomsk Region MIA Igor Mitrofanov. Rogue cops were turned in by the briber himself, the businessman Andrei Krivoshein.

Photo: Tomsk businessman Andrey Krivoshein

Official website of the Russian Investigative Committee confirmed that Konstantin Savchenko received various material goods (including three mobile phones and equipment for Toyota Highlander car) from the businessman for a total amount of 912 950 rubles for almost two years.

As it turned out later, the Tomsk Region MIA Head Igor Mitrofanov also received a number of sops from the businessman. In particular, his son and wife purchased Lexus and Porsche Cayenne from Krivoshein twice cheaper than their real price is. In addition, the entrepreneur, his son, wife and Mitrofanov’s mother established jointly a company in St. Petersburg, presumably, for the legalization of funds received by the police head from entrepreneurs.

According to media materials, after the yet another bribe demand, the entrepreneur decided to decline the services of his powerful protectors. According to the Man and Law program, Savchenko’s last demand included Lexus and three-bedroom apartment in the city center, which is totally worth over 20 million rubles.

After refusing to pay, Krivoshein’s business faced a wave of inspections from various authorities. It turned out that at least four of these inspections were organized on the initiative of Konstantin Savchenko. For this reason, the businessman wrote a letter to the FSB against Colonel Savchenko and his superior, General Igor Mitrofanov. The result of the letter was the ouster of the high-ranking police officers from their posts and initiating criminal cases against them.

Despite the fact that both police chiefs are now under investigation, the business entrepreneur is still under pressure. In addition, Mitrofanov’s son filed a lawsuit against Krivoshein, claiming that the businessman owes him 20 million rubles. The businessman claims that the officer son’s lawsuit is based on a sham loan contract to hide a bribe to Mitrofanov. Krivoshein perceived this as a personal threat for trying to resist the high-ranking officials. However, the businessman, instead of going back on his words, went further: the other day the businessman sent an open letter to the Russian President, where he asked the President to save him from police abuse. Andrey Krivoshein thinks that the President intervention is the last opportunity to protect him from the corrupt police.